NORTH-CAROLINA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 181* 



After a drainage has been effected, many of the wild and 

 least useful grasses will die out. But to aid the process of 

 substitution of better, for the poorer grasses, and the weeds 

 which always, more or less, take a joint possession of such 

 fields, it may be harrowed with an instrument provided with 

 sharp teeth. When this is done, a proper mixture of seed 

 may be sown, after which the surface is swept over with a 

 heavy brush. 



The introduction of the valuable grasses is also materially 

 aided by a top dressing of compost, which puts the soil 

 in a better condition to receive the seed, and facilitates, as 

 well as quickens, its germination. It also gives more strength 

 to the newly introduced grass, and enables it to contend more 

 successfully with those which are already in possession of the 

 premises. As in law, so in agriculture, possession gives im 

 portant advantages ; and the new claimant which we desire 

 to put in possession, must, in the, first place, oust the old oc 

 cupant. Much depends upon the perfection of our prelimin 

 ary steps. If we have thoroughly under-drained the premi 

 ses, w r e shall be enabled to starve out very speedily the occu 

 pant we wish to remove ; and if. in addition to this, we sup 

 ply nutriment to our favorite intruder, we have provided or 

 opened more than one way by which we hope to succeed. 

 The poor grasses are generally destroyed by high cultivation, 

 and so are weeds, and the process which so evidently favors 

 the disappearance of the poorer ones, favors the introduction 

 of the good. One of the most substantial reasons why grass 

 es are so difficult to grow in the South, is, that they are not 

 manured. They are sown first upon soil already partially ex 

 hausted, where the poor grasses are taking deep root, and 

 hence their chance for life is very small. 



If a grass plat is to be formed upon upland, the proceeding 

 should be somewhat different. After the land is made even 

 by light ploughing and harrowing, winter rye should be sown, 

 and the field stocked down with orchard grass, mixed with 

 herds grass, June grass and red and white clover. The rye 

 makes an excellent spring fodder, and protects the grass seed, 

 which in due time will germinate and replace the rye. To 



